Tango
by anthfan
Summary: After a mission goes badly, Felicity and the team must figure out how to deal with the ramifications of her going undercover again. Features an a/u where Tommy lived. Originally began as drabble #8.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: If this one looks familiar, it's because it is. This chapter was originally my Drabble #8, the one where the mission went wrong that was half Felicity's pov, and half Tommy's. I then wrote another unrelated (at the time) drabble on tumblr that also had an Alive!Tommy in it. And then I had the idea that both those drabbles could work together with a little tweaking, and could turn into a longer multi-chapter story. So that's what this is. Chapter one of 'Tango' is the original drabble #8. Chapter two is the original Tango drabble that was only posted on tumblr. Chapter three will be the first 'new' chapter to this story. **

**Hope that wasn't too confusing. Chapter 2 will be up tomorrow and the first new chapter the day after that. **

**Enjoy, and let me know what you think! **

About halfway through the night Felicity had a sinking suspicion that the mission was going to go horribly wrong.

There were more guards than there had been previously when she'd done her preparation. Oliver and Digg hadn't made their appearance yet and she was worried that things could get out of control quickly.

It had been easy enough to slip into the back office when the fighting had started, even if the four inch heels she had been forced to wear made navigating difficult.

Her dress was too short and too low cut for her liking, but she'd needed to look the part. The expression in Oliver's eyes as she'd stepped out of the bathroom had made it worthwhile. That is until the door to the office she'd just broken in to burst open behind her. Her hands froze over the keyboard, one click away from sending all the data she needed to the flash drive.

There wasn't supposed to be a guard in the back hallway, and from the sound of the fighting going on she wasn't going to be able to depend on one of the boys coming to her rescue this time.

With fear creeping through her she pressed the last button and tried to give the man an innocent smile.

"You're not supposed to be here, sweetheart." he leered and cold sweat broke across her skin. Something inside her told her she needed to get out of that room as soon as possible.

The door slammed shut behind him and she backed around the other side of the desk as he advanced on her. She grabbed a paperweight and lobbed it at him but he avoided it easily and laughed.

Panic was making her nervous and she tried to clear her mind and remember what Digg had taught her but there was no time. He lunged suddenly and she screamed. She heard Oliver roar her name in her ear but she couldn't call back.

Rough hands landed on her upper arms and pulled her back against him. She struggled and fought but he was strong and she could feel his hot breath against her neck as he held her.

She tried stomping on his feet and kicking his shins but he just laughed and avoided her legs. When he spun her and forced her onto a soiled couch in the corner she was terrified.

One of the straps to her dress tore as he pawed at her and she fought harder, her nails raked across his face and he slapped her swiftly in retaliation. Head spinning she tried to shove the feeling away and focus. When his knee pushed hard between her legs she screamed and scratched him again.

That earned her another strike. Her vision blurred and his grip relaxed just enough that she knew it was her only chance. With speed she didn't know she possessed she squirmed out of his grasp and headed for the door.

Felicity let out a desperate cry when he wrapped his arms around her back and without thinking she threw her head back violently. Through the blinding pain in her skull she heard a sickening crunch and stumbled forward when he released her.

She tore the flash drive from the computer and was out the door, not looking back. Digg or Oliver called out to her through the comms several times but she couldn't reply. She fell through the emergency exit and cut through a back alley before spying the car she'd driven there earlier.

The key was tucked safely in her bra and she grabbed it quickly unlocking the car with shaky hands as she kept trying to keep her dress from falling open in the front.

Oliver called for her again and she took a deep breath before she answered. "Got the data, heading back to the lair." she said breathlessly and then turned off her link.

Tears were slipping down her cheeks as she drove, paying no attention to anything other than her need to get back to the where it was safe.

She parked haphazardly and almost collapsed to the ground as she exited the car. Her head throbbed and the world kept tilting dangerously. It took two tries to punch in the code at the side entrance.

The door to the basement beckoned her and she was almost there when she heard a voice behind her. "Felicity?"

She spun to see Tommy. When he saw her appearance he rushed forward hands coming towards her and she flinched, pressing herself against the wall behind her.

"What happened? Are you alright? Where's Oliver?" he asked in a rush, his hands still extended.

She swallowed down her terror and tried to answer him, "Mission got a little rough." she managed to croak out,

Her hands were trembling so hard she couldn't hold the strap any longer and his eyes went wide. "You're hurt!" he said sharply and winced when he saw her reaction to his tone.

She didn't understand what he was doing when he shrugged out of his jacket and held it out to her. "Here, take it." his voice was gentle now. She tried to reach her hand out, but couldn't.

"Alright, I'm going to put this around your shoulders, okay?" he was talking to her like you would talk to a frightened animal.

She froze as he approached, and couldn't help the whimper that came from her when he was close enough to place the jacket on her. He hesitated for a second and then she felt the material settle around her. Her hands automatically gripped the lapels and pulled them close.

"Felicity, what happened? Who did this to you?" he'd stepped back to give her some space and she was grateful.

"There was a guard near the office. He wasn't supposed to be there." she said quietly, eyes shutting tight at the memory.

"And where the hell was Oliver?" he demanded, his worry temporarily taking over.

She shook her head and regretted it as a wave of pain went through her, "There were more than we had anticipated. He was doing his best." she defended him immediately.

Tommy shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Does he know you got out?"

"Yeah," she answered softly, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"Does he know you're hurt?" that tone was back.

Her head moved sideways once and Tommy blew out a long sigh and his eyes cut over her face, taking in the split lip and the torn dress and the bruises that were surely starting to form. "'Lis...did anything else happen." she could hear the strain as he tried to ask her if she'd been raped.

Tears spilled over and a look of horror crossed his face before she could tell him no.

"I'm fine." she assured him, ignoring his look of disbelief.

"He's going to get you killed one day!" he ground out and she jumped, her nerves frayed and frazzled. She was only barely holding on to any sort of composure.

"Sometimes missions go wrong." she replied weakly, suddenly needing to be alone.

"I have to go." she declared, punching in the code with trembling fingers. She wasn't surprised to hear Tommy behind her as she made her way down the steps. The death grip she had on the railing was the only thing keeping her from tumbling down the stairs.

She placed the flash drive on her desk and swayed on the spot, Tommy's hand on her elbow kept her from falling but she jerked away from him with a gasp.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice breaking on a sob. In her head she knew he was just trying to help but she couldn't seem to be able to stop.

"Don't apologize. What do you need, 'Lis?"

"Oliver." she said immediately and then clamped her hand over her mouth in shock. "I meant a shower. I just need a shower." she tried to cover, but the look on Tommy's face let her know she'd failed. She couldn't think about Oliver right then.

Without another word she headed towards the back room. Her ankles wobbled and she felt lightheaded, but she had a goal and all her focus was directed at getting to the bathroom.

Tommy trailed in her wake until she reached the door. "I'll be right here if you need anything." he told her gently and she nodded once before shutting the door.

She handled the next few minutes by just zeroing in on one thing at a time. Turn on the water. Take off the jacket. Remove the shoes. Unzip the dress.

She avoided the mirror at all costs and succeeded in keeping her mind blank until she stepped under the spray. As the water poured over her she felt a sting on her lip and across her cheek. When she raised her hand to her face it came back a faintish pink.

Her stomach rolled and she barely managed to lean out in time to get sick in the trashcan.

On her knees, with the water drowning out her sobs she broke. She slumped into the corner and released every emotion she'd been holding onto since that door had burst open behind her.

Tommy paced outside the bathroom and thought about calling Oliver but he didn't want to interrupt him if he was still fighting; even he understood that.

He'd never seen Felicity like that before. She'd been out in the field more and more and had gotten injured once or twice, but nothing that bad. He'd never seen her shut down and frightened so deeply she jumped at the slightest move.

He scrubbed his hands across his face and continued to pace, wishing there was something he could do to help her.

There was no question when Oliver arrived. Tommy could hear him bellowing Felicity's name as soon as the chime alerted that the door had been accessed.

"Felicity!" he yelled again, heading into the training room since she hadn't been out front.

He came to a halt, hood still up, bow out, when he saw Tommy.

"Where is she?" he demanded

Tommy pointed into the bathroom where the water could be heard.

The bow and quiver were dropped onto a table and he pushed the hood back with a rough hand.

"Is she okay?" he advanced on Tommy as Diggle came running into the room behind him.

Tommy just held his gaze and shook his head.

A dark look passed over Oliver's face that he'd never seen before and he wondered if that's how he looked before he killed someone.

"What did she say?" he ground out, fists clenched at his side

"There was a guy in the office with her, that's really all I know." Tommy's voice was tight as his anger over what had happened to her was directed at Oliver. "She looks like hell. Got knocked around a bit, bruises...her dress was torn."

Oliver looked like he'd been punched at that information. He watched the emotions play across his friends face and not for the first time Tommy wondered how long he was going to watch the two of them dance around their all too obvious feelings. "She wasn't..." he couldn't even say the words.

Tommy put him out of his misery fast, "No. She said...that didn't happen."

Oliver's face went red as he stalked right into Tommy's space, "You asked her?!"

"If you had seen her you would have asked her too! She can barely stand and she won't let anyone near her!" he spat back, not caring that he was reminding Oliver he hadn't been there to save her.

Pure rage ran across Oliver's face before he stalked away and unleashed his fury on one of the practice dummies. Diggle went to his side and talked to him quietly.

When a high keening wail broke through the temporary silence all three men froze and then Oliver and Diggle were running for the door.

Oliver pushed straight in, steam from the overly hot shower billowing out. Tommy managed to crowd in ahead of Diggle somehow and could hear Felicity's sobs echo in the small space.

The curtain was ripped back and Oliver shut off the water before Tommy thought to shove a towel over his shoulder.

He saw more skin than he had intended to as Oliver wrapped the terry cloth around her and lifted her from the corner of the shower where she'd collapsed. She screamed and tried to get away until Oliver said her name and told her she was safe. She went limp in his arms.

Tommy scrambled to get out of the way, almost running into Diggle who held a blanket and tucked it around her as Oliver made his way out of the bathroom.

In unspoken agreement they headed for the med bay. Tommy stepped back and watched as Oliver and Diggle operated like a well oiled machine. Felicity flailed and bucked when he tried to lay her on the table but it only took a look passing between the two of them to move the operation to the couch.

Oliver sat with her in his lap and talked to her quietly trying to get her to calm down so Diggle could examine her.

Slowly she relaxed and tucked her head up under his chin, one hand clenched in the leather of his jacket as she burrowed into him. She hadn't been lying when she said she'd needed him.

Tommy must have made a noise because Oliver looked up and gave him a questioning glance. Seeing the worry in his friend's eye, and knowing he'd never purposely put her in danger made Tommy pull his own anger back some.

"I asked her if there was anything I could do for her, if there was anything she needed, and she just said one thing. She said she needed you." Tommy said heavily. Oliver's eyes slammed shut and Tommy could only wonder what was going through his mind.

Diggle spoke to her softly and she gave a tiny nod. Tommy realized he'd asked her permission to touch her.

His hands worked through her wet hair gently, pausing when she flinched. He got up and returned with an ice pack which Oliver held for her. Diggle cleaned the cut on her cheek and placed a small bandage before he backed off, leaving them be.

"I'm sorry," her voice was small, but it caught all their attention.

Oliver looked down at her and brushed loose hair from her face, "No, you have nothing to apologize for."

"I should have locked the door, or checked the hallway, or remembered more of those self defense moves..." she broke off, as fresh tears fell.

Oliver wiped them away and pressed his lips to her forehead quickly, "No. You followed the mission, it just didn't go as planned. And if I had gotten there in time none of this would have happened. I'm sorry I..." the self hatred in his voice was deep, and Tommy knew there was no one who would blame him more for this than Oliver would himself.

Her hand snuck out from the blanket and cupped his cheek, forcing him to look towards her. "The whole thing went to hell. It's not your fault. These things happen sometimes, right?"

Tommy watched in amazement at how easily they'd switched roles. Now he was the one apologizing while she comforted him. He wondered if they even noticed.

His eyes cut to Diggle's and the man motioned with his head. Tommy nodded and followed him out, turning back once to see his best friend bent over the woman he was in love with, whether he knew it or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This particular chapter began as a stand alone prompt on tumblr. But Tommy was in it and I really wanted to keep the story going. And then I remembered the other drabble I'd done with Tommy in it and realized I could make the two work together. This chapter has been reworked a bit from the original to make it fit with chapter 1. Hope you enjoy! Next chapter won't be out until Friday. I totally forgot it was Thanksgiving tomorrow. **

Felicity almost choked on her coffee when she realized their best chance of getting access to Mario Salazar was by entering a ballroom dancing competition. Salazar was a little known kingpin with a mob from Gotham trying to make inroads into the hurting Starling City. He was also apparently a ballroom aficionado who adored dance and poured money into supporting it.

When she'd discovered he was providing almost all the funding for a competition being held that weekend in the city, she'd found out one of the perks of being a competitor was a dinner hosted by Salazar himself. No one else was allowed to attend, and outside dinner he would be under heavy guard the rest of his time in town.

She swiveled in her seat at the bar in Verdant and bit her lip before cutting her eyes to where Oliver and Digg were exiting the basement.

"Got anything Felicity?" Oliver asked as they approached,

She gave him a tight smile, "Well...I don't suppose you know how to tango, do you?"

He pulled a face and stepped around behind her, "No, my mother's lucky I can do a respectable waltz. That's as far as I ever got. Why?"

With a sigh she ignored him and turned hopeful eyes on Digg, "What about you? Tango?"

He barked out a laugh and moved to lean against the end of the bar. "No, not exactly my scene."

"Well, unless we find someone who can do the tango we're not getting Salazar this weekend." The exasperation was heavy in her tone as she flicked idly through the information she'd gathered on her tablet.

"Felicity, you've really got to explain how the tango and Mario Salazar have anything to do with each other." Oliver was adopting his growly voice. The one he got when she didn't explain things fully.

Quickly, she filled him in on her plan, the only monkey wrench being the lack of someone who could do a tango well enough to make it through a competition.

"Felicity, even if we did find someone who could do the tango, aren't you forgetting you literally need two." Digg said pointedly.

She waved a hand dismissively. "I can tango Digg, that's not our problem."

Oliver's eyebrows shot into his hairline, "You can tango?" he asked in disbelief, quickly followed by a furrowing of his brow as he understood that she intended to put herself out in the field again.

She chose to ignore that as she leveled him with a withering glare. "Yes. When I was fourteen, my mother thought I spent too much time in front of the computer and signed me up for ballroom dancing lessons. I hated every second of it, but tango came easily. Guess it's my long legs or something."

The more she talked the more she could ignore the tension that was growing behind her and the silent conversation she knew Oliver and Digg were having over her head. She was going on this mission. If there was a mission to go on.

With a loud groan she dropped her head into her hands, "There has to be one man in Starling City who can tango."

"Ask and ye shall receive." Tommy Merlyn's voice boomed across the silent club, and she turned in her seat to see him making his way across the dance floor, miming the proper hold for the tango.

"Oh my god, can you tango?!" she asked excitedly, already scrambling to hop off the stool, not even noticing as she used Oliver's chest as balance to drop down a few inches without falling.

Tommy paused in the middle of the floor and gave her a smirking look, "Don't doubt the pastimes of the idle rich Ms. Smoak, we've been over this."

"Show me, show me." she demanded, and he swept her up immediately, one hand securely on her back, the other grasping her right hand.

A serious expression fell across his face and she tried not to laugh as he counted off the steps. They fell into an easy rhythm and she found herself able to keep up, muscle memory allowing her to do moves she hadn't practiced in years.

Tommy led her around the floor like an expert, their bodies moving together as a fluid pair, spinning quicker and quicker, and when he ended the dance by leaving her in a deep back bend, one leg extended behind her, she was breathless.

Digg erupted in claps and a long whistle. Felicity took Tommy's proffered hand to climb to her feet, grateful she'd worn a fuller skirt that day. She was giggling as he led her off the floor, only to find herself stopped short by Oliver's stony face.

"Too bad you didn't continue those classes, buddy." Tommy said with a grin as he slapped Oliver on the back and exchanged a look with Digg that Felicity didn't understand.

"Felicity, never mind about this ballroom thing. We'll find another way to get Salazar." he said tightly and she held him with a long gaze.

"Salazar isn't going to be back here for months. Unless you want to go to Gotham to track him down, and something tells me you wouldn't be very welcome there, this is our only shot. Besides all we're doing is one dance and then going to this dinner, where I will find the opportunity to plant the bug on him. Easy." she knew why he didn't want her to go but she had to. A month had passed since she'd barely made it out of that last mission alive and she needed to prove to herself and to them that she could do this.

"Just a guess 'Lis, but I'm thinking it's not so much the mission as the fact that you'd have to wear a skimpy outfit and do an incredibly sexy dance with yours truly." Tommy said with a smirk and she shot him a grateful look. He knew what had happened, he'd been there, but he was trying to act like it wasn't the elephant in the room and she appreciated that.

Oliver slid a glare in the direction of his best friend who held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving. But before I do, let me just let you in on a little known secret about Ollie here." Tommy looked left and right and then leaned in, "This man...he does not like to share."

Oliver's glower deepened, and Felicity was left staring open-mouthed after Tommy as he escaped down into the lair with Digg on his heels. She'd thought Oliver's reaction was purely related to her being in the field again, but with the way he was responding to Tommy she wasn't sure.

Silence stretched between them, and she gave him a weak smile before crossing to the bar to pick up the tablet. Felicity clutched it to her chest like a shield as she turned and waited for Oliver to say something.

Just when she couldn't take it any longer and she had started to move he spoke. "You'll do the dance with Tommy. But you won't be left alone for a second." he said, voice clipped, his eyes keeping her pinned in place as he advanced on her. She shivered when he was only inches away and held her breath. There were layers to what he was telling her and she wasn't sure she understood all of it just then.

She'd never have expected it when he leaned in, his breath coasting over her ear as he continued, "But when this mission is over I expect a private lesson."


End file.
